Shirt envelope



Sept. 10, 1935. J. M. ALTER ETIAL I 2,014,097

SHIRT ENVELOPE Filed March 9, 1934 Patented Sept. 10, 1935 PATENT OFFICE SHIRT ENVELOPE Julius M. Alter, Brooklyn. and Meyer Lipscy, New York, N. Y.

Application March 9, 1934, Serial No. 714,800

4 Claims.

This invention relates to supporting devices for the collars of shirts.

One object of the invention is the provision of improvedmeans for supporting the collar of a shirt and/or improved means for holding down the ends or points of the collar.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved collar support with especial reference to maintaining the collar at an angle to the plane of the shirt, and accomplishing this result by the use of a simple, inexpensive, desirably integral construction, which is neat in appearance, convenient and efficient in use, and which may be embodied in a shirt band or adjunct, or directly in a shirt envelope of otherwise conventional type.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view in fiat position of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, but

with the collar supporting device angularly disposed as if in operating position with respect to a shirt.

' Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device as applied to a laundered shirt.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, It denotes a device embodying the invention. The same may include an elongated shirt envelope having a front wall it and a back wall, continuously longitudinally interconnected as at it adjacent to their side edges. The envelope is open at its upper and lower ends I4, I5, and the rear wall may have a section l6 extending substantially above the opening H. A shirt ll may be disposed in the envelope with its ordinary fold collar 5 i8 disposed above the opening l4 and resting on the section l6, and the points IQ of the collar facing front.

The collar supporting means may include a downwardly concaved edge 20 at the upper end 10 of the front wall H, the edge 20 diverging downward at its ends 2| substantially to meet the upper ends of the side folds of the envelope, as at 22. It will be understood that the edge 20 may be straight throughout, although it may have 16 any desired curvature, or only the slight curvature shown. Extending inward and downward from the points 22 arethe slits 23 which lie generally along a downwardly concaved line. Interconnecting the inner ends 24 of the slits is a fold 20 line 25. The concavity of the slits 23 may be substantially greater than any concavity of the edge 20, so that the respective lines taper toward each other toward the sides of the envelope.

By this construction, there is provided an ele- 25 ment 26 integral with the front wall H and foldable about the line 25, or the like, so as to lie at an angle to the plane of the envelope, said element having lateral oppositely extending wings or projections 21 adapted to be curved to conform 30 to the contour or circularity of the collar I8 and to engage in the fold thereof. It will be noted that the element 26 may lie at various angles to the plane of the shirt envelope according to the angularity of the lower edges 23 thereof which rest upon the front of the shirt; although preferably the angle of the element is an acute angle. The upper edge 20 of the element snugly underlies and supports the fold line 28 of the collar at the front and partially at the sides thereof, though the length of the wings 21 may be made to suit. As a result of the bending of the wings 2i into a substantially cylindrical contour, the effective concavity of the edge 20 is materially increased so as to efliciently support the collar for a suitable length thereof. It will be seen that by thus constructing the element 26, no gluing operation is necessary, and that a minimum of material is used.

If desired, an auxiliary means may be used 59 to hold down the collar, and/or to reenforce the element 25 in its upstanding position. For example, a second element or flap 29 may be struck out from the front wall it along lines such as so, and preferably of such contour as to have 1935 lateral oppositely extending portions or wings 3| and a generally central tab 32. The flap 29 is in general alinement with the central portion of the element 26, the fold line 33 being in relative proximity but in spaced parallel relation to the fold line 25, affording a connecting member 34 therebetween.

In use, after the shirt is inserted into the envelope, the element 26 is bent up and the wings 2'1 inserted under the collar. Then the flap 29 is folded upward about its lines 33, with the wings 3| overlying the points I9 of the collar, and the flap forming a triangular section with the element 26 and the interconnecting member 34. Then the tab 32 is folded down about a line as at 35 and inserted between the upper edge of the element 26 and the collar. The triangular arrangement affords a braced structure, with the portion 34 fomiing the base and resting on the overlapping plies 36 at the front opening of the shirt, and the elements 26 and 29 forming the side walls of the triangular structure releasably interengaged by the tab 32 which lies between' the element 26 and the overlapping portions 31 of the rear collar wall.

To remove the shirt from the envelope, the element 29 may be released at 32, and the shirt pulled out at the collar. Inspection of the shirts may be facilitated by the curved edge 38 at the lower end of the front wall, conforming to the top edge 20 to save material.

The device may be made of any suitable stiff or pliable material, including paper or cardboard, and may be made in one or as many parts as may be required.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A device consisting of one piece of sheet material for supporting the fold collar of a relatively plane laundered shirt, including an element having oppositely extending wings adapted to lie in side portions of the fold of the collar, a flap centrally connected to the element and foldable upward, said flap having opposite wings for bearing down on the front of the collar, and the upper portion of the flap having a tab foldable downward for engagement between the element and the collar.

2. A supporting and holding device for a col- 10 lar including an elongated portion insertable into the collar, a second portion adapted to overlie the ends of the collar, and a third portion lying at the base of the collar, the three portions being disposed at angles to each other and being inter- 15 engaged to provide a substantially rigid structure of triangular transverse cross section, whereby the collar is securely held in conformity to the shape thereof.

3. A supporting and holding device for a 001- 20 lar including an elongated portion insertable into the collar, a second portion adapted to overlie the ends of the collar, and a third portion lying at the base of the collar, the three portions being disposed at angles to each other and the first 25 and second portions being hingedly connected to the third portion at opposite sides of the latter, and the first and second portions being releasably interengaged to provide a substantially triangular structure with the third portion.

4. A shirt envelope including a support for the shirt, and a holder for the collar thereof, said shirt support consisting of a plane sheet of material, said collar holder including a portion centrally hingedly connected at its lower edge to said support so as to provide wings insertable into the collar upon upward folding of said portion, and a second portion engageable over the ends ofthe collar and being integrally connected to said support in spaced relation to the hinge connec- 40 tion and foldable to extend at an acute angle from the support toward the firstportion.

JULIUS M. ALTER. MEYER LJPSEY. 

